


Have My Skeletons

by youareaprogram



Series: Reyes Vidal Prompts [5]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Andromeda
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 17:21:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11086320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youareaprogram/pseuds/youareaprogram
Summary: Ryder is on Voeld and Reyes shows up. Gender-neutral Ryder (or at least attempted to, some mistakes likley). After High Noon so spoilers for after that. Very very vaguely based on a prompt talking about cold weather.





	Have My Skeletons

**Author's Note:**

> Another bad story from yours truly. Ryder gets a call from Reyes, they decide to meet up and all that jazz. I kinda thought that the way it's shown in game is way too black and white (either yeah assassinating this leader is fine or no you're a monster and I hate you) so I kinda went with a Ryder that's reluctant to be with Reyes because they did kinda lie to them/use them but Ryder also likes him? Anyway tried to keep it gender neutral but probably slipped up ooops  
> (P.S. Definitely didn't name this after lyrics from a certain eurovision song also ooops)  
> (P.P.S Yes I go overboard with the spaces and can't write at all what else is new ay)

“Pathfinder w…”

“SAM, I swear if you tell me that it’s cold **one** more time whilst I’m knee deep in snow I’m going to f…”

“Ryder!” Cora interrupted over the comms, before the litany of swearing could begin.

Ryder, Cora and Vetra trudged the length back to the Nomad, Voeld’s incessant wind whipping them all the way. Ryder sighed once they were firmly back down in the Nomad’s passenger seat; Cora had offered to drive as Ryder was complaining all the way back. Cora was somewhat sympathetic; the day had not been easy. Voeld’s vault had the _fun-filled_ addition of drastic sub-zero temperatures and at this point, Ryder was sure they were more frostbite than person.

“Sorry SAM. It’s just…It’s been a long day that’s all,” Ryder said, their hands firmly placed over the Nomad’s radiator.

“Of course, Pathfinder. The vault placed a great strain on you.”

 

_Ryder hated when SAM called them that, it was so formal._

_SAM was inside their head after all, it was like their liver asking them politely: ‘would one perhaps consider not drinking so much?’_

_Just weird._

 

“Pathfinder,” SAM continued, “you have an incoming message from orbit. Signals imply the ship is from Kadara.”

 

_Kadara? It’s not…is it?_

 

“Put it through SAM please.”

 

“Ryder?” Static interfered with the signal but the accent gave away who their mysterious message was from.

 

_Reyes._

 

“Well what’s a good-looking man like you doing in a winter wonderland like this?” Ryder asked.

 

_Smooth Ryder._

_Why thank you other Ryder, I do try._

 

Reyes chuckled over the transmission.

“I get around Ryder, you should know that.”

Ryder was sure if they were meeting face to face, Reyes would be winking by now.

“Uh huh. So, you just so happened to come to this frozen wasteland by chance? Looking to go snow bathing?”

“Do you want to get me naked Ryder?”

 

_Little fucker._

 

“Ahem,” Ryder laugh-struggled through trying to respond, “so why are you gracing Voeld with your presence? Did you know I’d be here?”

There was a long pause. Ryder was unsure whether the radio was playing up again or if Reyes was having trouble answering. Payback.

“Thought I’d help out your newly formed colony. You know me, I’m a people person.”

“Uh huh. Genuine man of the people. You do remember that time when you assassinated that prominent leader? And you also lied to me for about 2 months or is that just me?”

 

Vetra looked at Cora. Cora shook her head.

Now was not the time to say anything.

 

“Ryder,” Reyes said quietly, “probably not a good idea to be having this conversation over these channels.”

“Fine," Ryder huffed. "Meet me here.” Ryder sent co-ordinates through the open channel for Reyes to meet them.

“Should we come with or….?” Vetra said as the line to Reyes closed.

“Nah,” Ryder said as they cracked their neck.

“But surely just in case we should be your backup? We don’t know how this could go down.” Cora added quietly.

Ryder hadn’t spoken to Reyes since Kadara. Reyes had used Ryder to bring Sloane to the meeting and had lied to them from day one. Afterwards, Reyes had tried to point out that technically they didn’t lie to them. Ryder wasn’t a fan of him trying to weasel his way out of him being such a dick like that, as they’d made very clear before they both left that cave. They’d been emailing back and forth for a while, in between missions, nothing serious. The last time was 2 weeks ago. Lots had happened since then; Voeld’s vault had been activated, the asari ark had been found and Jaal had introduced Ryder to the angaran equivalent of whisky.

All in all, massive steps for humanity and all the milky way species.

 

Speaking of whisky, if he was going to meet with Reyes, Ryder should also introduce him to said Angaran whisky. Ryder could do with a laugh. Ryder had been sick for days afterwards, at the amusement of a passive-aggressive Lexi, who had previously tried to warn them against trying exotic alcohol products.

 

“Thanks Cora, but honestly he’d need more backup than me.” Ryder attempted to wink at her but ended up just blinking.

 

_Did that asshole have a patent on winking?_

 

“Ryder I’m not interested in your,” she gestured wildly, which was not an easy feat in the Nomad, “romantic life.”

“Romantic life is a bit of a stretch don’t you think?” Ryder asked.

 

Vetra looked at Ryder incredulously.

“Be grateful Cora, you weren’t on Kadara and having to witness them flirting for 4 weeks.” Vetra said. Ryder glared at Vetra, mentally asking SAM to ‘conveniently’ cause the Tempest to run out of hot water when Vetra wanted a shower.

“Relax Cora," Ryder said turning back to her, "Reyes isn’t going to try anything. He may be a smug asshole-criminal but he's not stupid; he needs me just as much as I need him to have a presence on Kadara. Besides, I asked for us to meet in the colony bar.”

“Wait there’s a colony bar? Already?” Cora asked.

“I don’t know," Ryder shrugged, "asari bartenders are ruthless and will set up shop anyway I swear.”

“What are they even selling? I don’t think any transport ship has been by yet to deliver non-essential supplies?”

“I don’t know Cora,” Cora began to steer the Nomad back to the colony, “at least the beers are guaranteed to be cold.”

    

 

Reyes was waiting in the bar, watching the influx and efflux of ships bringing in food rations and sending out the ice-running ships to deliver water across Heleus. The whisky was here subpar, there was no way around it. Umi might have been an over-charging asshole who was _way_ too fond of that knife she used to cut lemons than is healthy but she at least knew her stuff. The bartender here insisted on putting ice in everything. Guess because they had enough to go around here on Voeld. Still, he hated having it forced on him. He dug out the ice from his drink and began to chew it, the harsh cold-bite present with each chew.

“I’d say ‘you look like you’re waiting for someone’ but I feel we’ve used that so much that at this point it’s become a cliché.”

Reyes chuckled softly before turning around. “I don’t know Ryder. I like clichés.”

“What are you drinking?” Ryder asked.

“Whisky, though it doesn’t compare to Sloane’s stash on Kadara. Want some?”

“Sure.”

“A whisky for my friend here and another for me,” Reyes said as he downed the remains of his own glass. “And no ice this time.” He glared at the bartender.

"’Friend’ is it?” The bartender went to fix their drinks.

“Are we not friends Ryder? I'm hurt.” He looked at the Pathfinder, mock pouting. The bartender brought back two glasses, both thankfully free from ice. Ryder took the drink before looking back at Reyes and laughed sheepishly.

“Sure, we’re friends Reyes, though it’s a little weird we had to clarify that,” Ryder took a swig of their drink, “I just thought…”

“And what is it you thought?” Reyes smirked at Ryder.

“I don’t know Reyes, you ass, you tell me. You’re the one who flew all the way out to Voeld. I’m guessing it’s not just to have a few drinks with a 'friend' in some shitty excuse for a bar?” Ryder sipped their drink before looking dead-eye at the bartender within earshot. “No offence.”

“You’re right. Ryder look, I came to see if…”

“If I’d forgiven you for being an ass?”

“Something like that.”

“That’s a lovely and unique way to apologise. The answer is no by the way. Not yet.”

 

Reyes sighed.

 

“I **am** sorry Ryder, that should really go without saying but I'll say it anyway. You're right I should have told you. It's just that once we'd met and began working together…” Reyes trailed off before he took another swig from his glass. “I don’t know Ryder, it just seemed too late by then? We’d already made a great team and, call me selfish, but I wanted you to see me as me and not ‘The Charlatan’." He gestured with his hands as he quietly used his codename, to give it extra flair.

“You’re selfish.”

“True.”

Ryder snorted.

 

 _Well that’s attractive._  

 

The music in the bar began to pick up as both Ryder and Reyes, both leaders in their own right, worked on their drinks.

Ryder sighed.

Reyes had lied to them, had used them for his own ends, in a manner of speaking. But there was an undeniable attraction between them. And not just on a physical level, not that Reyes’ appearance didn’t hurt. Reyes was funny and fun to be with. He also was kind, if in a roundabout way; since Ryder only found out about Reyes’ identity as The Charlatan, and therefore his role in the donations to Dr Nakamoto’s makeshift clinic, after he revealed himself _oh so dramatically_ in that cave outside Kadara port. This was nowhere near the end of Reyes trying to make up for what he'd done. Maybe in that way he'd show himself as the person he wanted Ryder to see him as.

Ryder finished their drink first, the burn of cheap whisky a strain on their throat.

“Come on Vidal,” they said, grasping his hand and pulling him away from the bar to a more spacious area, “I think I’m owed another dance.”


End file.
